Maharaja Manindra Chandra College was established on the 15th of July, 1941 at Beadon street of North Calcutta at 20, Ramkanta Bose Street, Kolkata-700003. The college was founded by the drive and initiative of some local people and spirited personality of the locality. Especially Dr. Panchanan Neogi I.E.S (Retd), who was a well-known educationist of that time. Maharaja Sris Chandra Nandy of Cossimbazar was a great patron of this college.
Later a public meeting held at New Shyambazar Street on December 15,1940 to take the resolution that a new college would be established with arts, science and commerce departments in the memory of late Sri Maharaja Manindra Chandra Nandy of Cossimbazar at 20 Ramkanta Bose Street, Kolkata. The proposal was accepted by his son Maharaja Sris Chandra Nandy. The College was thus named after maharaja Manindra Chandra Nandi. The college attended the status of a premier college in Kolkata in course of time.
Presently, the College is situated on Bhupen Bose Avenue near Shyambazar five-point crossing, which is located at a very convenient position of North Calcutta. The college has a second campus in a new building at 12 Padmanath Lane, Kolkata-700004, donated by Smt. Bandita Mukherjee, daughter of ex-principal of the college Sri Biswanath Mukherjee.
The normal college hours is from 10.30 am. To 4.45 pm. The academic session is from July to June. The subjects offered in B.A. Honours course are Bengali, English, Computer Application. Apart from these traditional courses some add-on career oriented certificate courses are also done in this college, which is sponsored by University Grants Commission (UGC). These are Functional English, Tourism and Travel Management, Journalism (video editing) and Mass Communication, Videography and Video Editing, Computerized Office Management, Computerized Financial Accounting, Language in C++ and basic Java, VB.Net/ Linux, Internet (diploma courses).
The college has a well-stocked library with a spacious reading room attached to it. The library has a collection of about sixty thousand books and subscribes to eleven types of periodicals. The database of the library is maintained through computers. The college has arranged an institutional membership with the British Council Library and American library. Each department maintains a seminar library, which gives the additional facility to the students to borrow reference books.
The college magazine is published once a year and all the students are entitled to have a copy of the college magazine. The college authority also publishes periodical wall magazines. Students of Maharaja Manindra Chandra College participate in annual Inter-Class and inter-College cultural and literary competitions.
The college has recently opened a well-equipped multi-Gym funded by the department of youth and sports, Government of India. It offers facility of doing the Gym to both students and stuff of the college. Students are also encouraged to take part in the outdoor games. Inter class tournaments in football and cricket and indoor games also arranged every year in this college. The college participates regularly in Inter-College Sports Meets and competitions. A Placement cell is established in the college for making arrangements for the placement of the students of the college in industry. The leading software companies have appointed many students as trainee programmers. The college also runs a counseling cell that provides the students to get both personal and academic advice in their problems. There is also a grievance redressal cell that helps to solve any kind of problem faced by any student. Parent-teacher interaction is always encouraged by the college authority. After any examinations the guardians are called, especially of those who do not score satisfactorily in the tests and those who do not attend classes regularly.
The college boasts over regular publication of a news bulletin step and a periodical growth. Besides, there is an annual publication of academic calendar and diary for the benefit of the students and the staff of the college. The college arranges for a book bank for the poor and meritorious students. There are cheap stores and canteens for the staff and the students. The non teaching staff of the college runs a recreation club, that organize many of the entertaining functions. Hostel accommodation is available for the female students of the college at Maharani Kasiswari College Student Hostel that is adjacent to the college. There are separate Common rooms for boys and girls.
The College Students are encouraged to participate in various social and extension activities. UGC has provided assistance to undertake such a service. There is a National Service Scheme in the Maharaja Manindra Chandra College, which is recognized by UGC.
The college alumni association is known as Praktani, which functions independently and actively participate in academic, administrative, literary and cultural programs associated with the college. All ex-students are expected to join the association so that they can keep a link with the institution that graduated them.
Netaji Subhas Open University was established in 1997 by passing a special Act in the State Legislature of West Bengal. It is a state open university. The study center is named as Maharaja Manindra Chandra College Study Center. Through this study center the university runs Post Graduate, Under Graduate, Vocational and professional courses.